My Say On Blu Ray: ‘Red Widow’ Season 1

How far would you go to avenge your husband’s murder? The question is the basis of “Red Widow”, one many viewers didn’t really care for.

The drama is an American adaptation of a Dutch series and follows widow Marta Walraven (Radha Mitchell) as she dives into the family business of organized crime, searching for her husband’s killer.

Widow didn’t lack any talent with its cast of familiar faces, but what it did lack was its distinction from what viewers are already offered. From ABC’s “Revenge” to HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” (and even going back to the “The Sopranos”), there are already shows that offer up similar genres of TV, and do so with superior writing. So, it’s no surprise that the show was axed after only one season.

However, being cancelled doesn’t mean you won’t get a home video release, or even a second chance. “Family Guy” is the prime example of that. The show’s DVD sales elevated the series to cult status before being brought back altogether. Even NBC’s “Southland” found new life on TNT after its first season run. So there is always hope for hardcore fans, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.

The special features of a show’s video release seem to be a new gauge of its popularity, so it’s not shocking Widow is light in this department. The biggest bonus is a making of feature with show creator Melissa Rosenberg. It’s a pretty standard presentation that takes viewers behind the scenes of the drama.

Other features include deleted scenes and a blooper reel, neither of which is very entertaining. The deleted scenes don’t offer up any clarity to the episodes from which they were cut. If anything, you just have a better understanding of why a scene was not needed. The blooper reel has much of the same lackluster effect, offering up only a laugh or two at most.

Widow’s eight episode DVD release doesn’t add much to the viewing experience. But if it’s a must have, grab a copy before it disappears into obscurity.